COOLING

Modern built homes are getting more energy efficient due to the use of insulation and breathable membranes houses are know being tested for air permeability. This drive to energy efficiency creates a major problem in that in the summer months even in the UK the buildings overheat which naturally is not conducive to a pleasant environment particularly during the night when we need sleep.

Good ventilation is a requirement and is easily achieved using a mechanical ventilation system but this though extremely efficient at filtering and removing the used air will not cool the house due to it being determined by the incoming temperature of the outside air temperature. In the summer months this temperature particular at night can be unbearable so what can we do to try and keep the temperatures to a reasonable level and condition the air.

Electrically driven air conditioning units are a option but they come with some major disadvantages, firstly they are expensive to operate and this overuse of electric is compounding the global warming issue and they need maintaining. Secondly they do not remove the used air but instead just recirculate it so any contaminants are not removed from the building. The best option is to take advantage of what the earth provides for us for free and in this case it is through the use of passive cooling via the utilisation of earth pipes referred to as Ground Air heat exchangers so how do they work?        Read More.....